Means for plaiting hanging curtains.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

Nth 817,968.

G. F. FRENCH & W. H. PINGH: MEANS FOR PLAITING HANGING CURTAINS. APPLICATION FILED APR.24,1905.

u/M wwww UNITED STATES GEORGE FREDERICK PATENT OFFICE.

MEANS FOR PLAITING HANGING CURTAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed April 24. 1

A Patented April 17, 1906.

905. Serial No. 257,289-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE FREDERICK FRENcH and WILLIAM HENRY PINOH, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residents of Hulme, Manchester, land, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Means for. Plaiting Hanging Curtains and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

In the plaiting or gathering and hanging of curtains, drapery, and the like it is customary first to plait the curtains, &c., by hand, then sew a tape across the several plaits, so as to retain them in fixed relative positions, and then hang the curtains by means of pins. When it is required to wash or clean the cur tains, it is necessary to remove (unpick) the tape before the curtains can be spread out and made ready for washing or cleaning, while on rehanging the curtains a fresh tape is usually required, the operations both of taking down for washing or cleaning purposes and putting up again being slow and tedious. Moreover, with the proper and graceful hanging of the curtains largely dependent on the good judgment of the person hanging the curtains and with the pins not properly spaced one from another the curtains are apt to hang badly and to look unsightly; furthermore, by frequent pinning the material of the curtain is liable to suffer.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the plaiting or gathering and hanging of curtains or the like and the taking down andunplaiting of the same are rendered much simpler, quicker, and more satistory than heretofore. Our invention also contemplates the suspending of curtains or drapery without the plaiting of the same, the

invention being useful, in part, merely for the quicker and more effective hanging and taking down of the curtains.

According to the invention we employ a tape of woven or other suitable material, preferably about three-quarters of an inch wide and equal in length to the width of the curtains, &c., to which it is to be applied. Into such tape we introduce a series of eyelets, each, by preference, central to the Width of the tape, and the several eyelets lying at distances of, say, about four inches apart. Such tape by its longitudinal edges we stitch to the curtains to be hung, applying it to the curtains while they are flat and fully Engdistended. We then introduce (thread) a loose draw-tape into the space between the said eyeleted tape and the curtains and means of stitching secure one end of such draw-tape to one end of the eyeleted tape, the other endbeing slightly beyond the opposite end of the eyeleted tape. To plait or gather the curtains,

we then cause the eyeleted tape (starting from the closed end) to. be pushed bit by bit along the draw-tape, the end of the drawtape being held firmlyin one hand, while the eyeleted tape, and with it the curtain mate rial, is pushed along and caused to surge, pucker, or gather on the draw-tape, the whole width of the curtain being very quickly plaited or gathered in a neat and regular manner. To hide the exposed end of the draw-tape, it

is tied into a bow and tucked into the head of the curtains.

When plaited, the. curtains are ready for hanging, for which purpose we employ a series of hooks of special formation, as hereinafter described. Each hook at one part engages a curtain-rod or a curtain-pole ring or other supporting means and at another part enters one of the eyelets in the said eyeleted tape, and thus serves to support the curtains in a neat and effectual manner.

The special feature of the hooks is that after passing through the eyelets they become ocked Within the tape, or the eyelets become locked on the hooks and cannot until forcibly withdrawn become detached.

Upon requiring to take down and unplait or ungather the curtains the hooks are withdrawn from the eyelets or the eyelets from the hooks, and the eyeleted tape is then drawn out along the draw-tape until fully distended, when the curtains are unplaited and ready for washing or cleaning, the eyeleted tape always remaining on the curtains unless it is desired to remove it for some special purpose or to transfer it to other ourtains.

Upon the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a face view of the eyeleted tape. Fig. 2 illustratets the eyeleted tape applied to a curtain and fitted with the draw-tape. ig. 3 illustrates the curtain and eyeleted tape as they appear after being gathered and when suspended by the hooks. Fig. 4 illustrates vertical and eyelets, to a larger scale. Fig. 5 illusleft free and extendmg' section of the curtain, tapes,

trates one of the hooks, to a larger scale, and I also shows the manner in which the eyeleted tape engages the hooks and how when on the hooks the eyelets cannot readily leave the hooks. Fig. 6 illustrates the improved hook combined with a ring. Fig. 7 illustrates a modification of the hook.

the curtain, drapery, or like object to be plaited and suspended or suspended only.

b is the eyeleted tape, which may vary in width and strength with the weight or character of the curtain, but for ordinary muslin and lace curtains is usually about threequarters of an inch wide.

0 c are the eyelets, preferably brass, and presenting holes of about three-sixteenths of an inch diameter, small apertures being first cut in the tape and the eyelets then placed in them and clenched down onto the tape in like manner to a boot-eyelet.

The tape is sewed along its two longitudinal edges to the curtain, and thus leaves a space or channel for the passage of the drawtape d, which latter after being introduced into the said space is secured at one end to the tape end, its opposite end being left free and extending beyond the end of the tape 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

e e are the hooks, one for each eyelet or otherwise, according to the re uired hanging of the curtain and each of thedorm shown in Fig. 5. The hook is preferably made of wire and in the form of what is practically a divided. annulus, with one end of the wire 1 turned up and shaped to form the hook proper and the other end of the wire 2 bent downward and formed with a small crank or inwardlyturned tip 3, the relative positions of the two ends being as shown in Fig. 5, so that on the hook engaging one of the eyelets of the tape or one of the eyelets being caused to pass onto the hook it (the eyelet) has to separate the two ends of the hook before it is fully on, and after it is on and the two ends rebound the space between them and the position of the eyelet below the cranked end of the wire are such that the eyelet is virtually locked on the hook and cannot leave it until sufiicient force is applied to cause it to again force the ends of the hook apart. In action the slipping of the eyelet past the ends of the hook gives a slight click in like manner to a purse or glove fastening. In such way a very sure,

yet sim le, connection is efi'ected and one that wil not allow the curtains to become unhooked with rough usage and when, say, the curtain is being slid along the curtain-rod. A further feature of the hook is that where it fits the curtain-rod fit is made with parallel sides longer than the diameter of the rod, so that when slid along the rod the hook does not tend to bind on the rod, as would be the case if it were made round; but of course we do not limit our invention to this particular shape of the upper part of the hook, as for take the form shown in Fig. 7 or any other form, provided the extremities of the hook are of the form and "occupy the relative positi ons shown in Fig. 5. v

In Fig. 6 we show how the improved hook may be combined with an ordinary curtainring, the said up er part being slightly liarrower than that shown in Fig. 5.

While chiefly intended for both laiting and hanging curtains, it will be seen t at our invention may serve for hanging themonly,

. other forms of support the upper part may In all the views where shown, a. designates the draw-tape being dispensed with and the eyeleted tape and hooks alone being used.

It will now be seen that by the use of the.

improved eyeleted tape the eyelets in which may be variously spaced and be of any suitable size and shape, and by the useof the hooks e very simple, cheap, and effective means are provided for uickly and neatly gathering or plaiting an uickly and securely hanging curtains an the like, and means which allow for the quick taking down and unplaiting of the curtains ready for cleanmg purposes.

What we claim is- In means for plaiting or gathering and suspending curtains and the like, a curtain, a gathering-tape equal in length to the width of the curtain and ailixed by its longitudinal edges to the curtain while its central part is free and in conjunction with the curtain forms a channel for a draw-tape, a draw-tape in the said channel and fixed at one end and loose at the other, and a series of eyelets let into the gathering-tape at equal and short distances apart, in combination with a series of hooks each made to the form of a divided annulus with one end turned upward and outward and forming the hook pro er, and the other end turned downward an inward and lying op osite the inner face of the other end and each of said hooks engaging one of the eyelets in the tape which'when fully on the hook comes below the downwardlyand inwardly turned end of the hook, substantially as herein set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE FREDERICK FRENCH.

, 'WILllIAlll HENRY PINCH.

Witnesses:

JOHN CAMP, PIoKLEs D. BAILEY. 

